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Jim
Bottorff's Banjo Page - This site is a wonderful resource for banjo
players. There are a large number of MIDI files to download, including
tuning sequences so that you can play along with your computer in tune
and a beginner's play-along page with easier transcriptions.
Folksongs
of the World - This huge English and German language site, owned by
Richard Kopp, contains hundreds of MIDI files for music in these categories:
Chorale Hymns, 1912 Lutheran Hymnal, 1916 Episcopal Hymnal, Olney Hymns
1779, Christmas Songs, Sea Songs, Workers Songbook 1915, Des Knaben Wunderhorn,
Irish Melodies 1806-34, Civil
War Songs, War Songs, Hiking Songs, Hunting Songs, Low German Songs, and
Drinking Songs. To download the MIDI file, click the word link "Melody"
to the right of song's name.
Blue Grass Tunes in MIDI - A collection of bluegrass tunes, written by other people and sequenced by Ron Clarke.
Gary
Allen's Bluegrass MIDI Files - "We were saddened to hear of the passing of Dr. Gary Allen in
June, 2004. He was one of the original contributors of MIDI Files to our
site and had come to our attention by having created one of the finest
collections of Bluegrass MIDI files. He was kind enough to share these
with us for presentation to all visitors." To download a MIDI file,
click the banjo symbol at the left of the name of the song.
Taylor's
Traditional Tunebook - This site, originated by Barry Taylor, has
more than 500 traditional songs from Scotland, Ireland, Wales, England,
and America. Use the drop-down list near the top of the page to go to
the country that you are interested in.
The Great Canadian Tunebook - Barry Taylor's Canadian Tunebook site has MIDI files available
for download as single songs (selecting one takes you to a page with
the lyrics, and the MIDI for download), or the whole lot for single
download as a zip file.
Nottingham Folk Music Database - This website has over 1000 folk tunes available in MIDI format. The front page has links to various types of tunes (jigs, reels, etc.). Click on a style to go to that page with an alphabetical listing of tunes. To download the MIDI for a tune, just click on the "MIDI" text next to the tune name.
Public
Domain Music - Begun in 1998, Public Domain Music now features over
2000 MIDI files, with text file of their lyrics, of 19th century America
popular music with emphasis on the works of 15 composers, including the
complete works of Stephen C. Foster and Henry Clay Work, as well as music
of the Civil War, hymns, spirituals, minstrel songs, ragtime piano music,
blues, folksongs, and pre-1923 music.
Folkdance
Midis - This large site boasts "more than 730 " folk dance
tunes. The list presented on this page is grouped by country or region,
with the songs listed underneath. Since this is primarily a German language
site, the melodies are indexed with German spellings. Click on the word
"MIDI" in the right-hand column to download the file.
Traditional
Music Library - This extensive site has MIDI files and lyrics for
a wide range of traditional music. Click on one of the tunebook or songbook
titles in the boxes near the top of the page to get to the music. On the
next page, you will need to click "See and play songs or tunes"
to get to the list of songs available. The songs are listed alphabetically.
To get to the page for each song, click on the Tune # to the right of
the song title. Once you are on the song page, click Medium play speed
(in the center) to download the MIDI file. If lyrics are available for
the song, they are at the bottom of the song page. Remember, you can add
lyrics to the score with Notation so that you can sing along more easily.
Popular Songs in American History - "American Folk and Traditional Music with Lyrics, Midi Files, Tune Information
and History behind the folksongs and ballads. With folksongs arranged by time period." Scroll down the page to find a list of the songs (categorized by century), and click the link. On each tune's page, there are lyrics and information about the song, as well as a "Download MIDI file" button.
Francis J. Child's Ballads - "Francis J. Child's five volume work, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads (1882-1898), is considered by many as the "canon" of folk music. These pages are devoted to Child's work and to the ballads therein." Another tremendous site of Lesley Nelson-Burn's. Scroll down the page to find a list of the songs, and click the link. On each tune's page, there are lyrics and information about the song, as well as a "Download MIDI file" button.
Bonnie
Prince Charlie - "A collection of Scottish songs relating to
Prince Charles Edward Stuart's epic venture" sequenced by Christian
Souchon. An entertaining and informative site, the list of works that
are available are on the opening page. Click on a song title, and you
will go to the page where the sound might automatically start playing.
Underneath the song title you will find a link to the MIDI file, not obviously
presented: the link will be named "Tune" or perhaps "Sequenced
by..." Check out also the "Barzhaz Breizh" (chants of western
Brittany) and "Dances of Brittany" pages.
George's
Greek MIDI Site - George Logothetis's site of about 300 "Greek
Oldies." The MIDI files can be downloaded only through a RealPlayertm window.
The
Rhythms on Songtrellis - African, Afro-Cuban and Swing Rhythms -
This web site offers an excellent source of authentic "world music"
rhythms. The MIDI files are not complete "songs". Rather, they
provide percussion rhythm tracks that you can use in music that you would
like to create with certain ethnic sounds.
MIDI
Chant- "These are MIDI files of (mostly) Gregorian Chants created
by Richard Lee." They can serve as a helpful guide for reading "square
note neumes".
The
Kitchen Musician - This is a collection of historical Celtic, English
and American tunes. The author points out that most of the MIDI arrangements
are quite simple, and are intended mostly for instructional purposes.
Hetzler's
Fakebook - Old Time Tunes - Edward Hetzler's web site provides many
100s of nicely prepared MIDI files. A link in the left-hand column of
the web page, for "Old Time Tunes", takes you to the pages that
specifically have folk tunes.
Light
Folksongs from Eastern Europe - This "resource of folksongs
for Violin, Viola and Cello" is a small collection of Eastern European
folk tunes arranges specifically for combinations of violin, viola, cello
and piano.
Israel
Gimel - "The Israeli Jewish Yiddish Hebrew Folk Cultural Music
Midi Free Library." Sub-categories of the music include: Religious,
Folk, Dance, Klezmer, and Modern. Note that some of the MIDI files were
recorded without reference to a MIDI metronome, so their rhythms will
not be correctly transcribed as notation.
Congregation
Etz Chaim MIDI Page - These MIDI files were prepared by Michael Greenspan,
self-described as "a professional accordionist with many years experience
playing and arranging ethnic, international music for public performance
and for accompanying folk dance groups." Ignore the "back/next"
links at the top, because they will take you to other web sites.
Middle Eastern Folk Music MIDI - A small page of middle eastern folk
tunes.
Swedish
Folksongs - These are simple arrangements of folk, Christmas, and
children's songs, prepared by Don Erickson.
Simple
Gifts - These simple MIDI file arrangements by Elizabeth T. Knuth,
and accompanying tablature, are for mandolin players; but the arrangements
can be used for other instruments. Click the "MIDI" link next
to a song name. You then might see the mandolin tablature. Scroll down
past the tablature and look for the MIDI file link preceded by the words
"If you like, you can hear a...".
Slovak
Folk Music - 35 Slovakian folk tunes, with simply the melody line,
prepared by Charlie Charlton.
Celtic
Bagpipe and Drum MIDI Page - A small collection of Celtic bagpipe
pieces, some with drum accompaniment. The grace notes are convincing,
and are also, by the way, automatically displayed as grace notes by Notation
Musician and Notation Composer.
Folksongs
and Ballads of the Appalachians and England - "Original arrangements
of folksongs and ballads from the Appalachian Mountains of the United
States and from England set for two treble instruments."
Ethnic
Europa Volksmusik - This webpage has ethnic songs from 25 different
countries. For each country there is a single zip file containing the
several MIDI files of songs.
Songs
of the Sea - This collection of sea shanties (chanties) and songs
of the sea is part of Lesley Nelson-Burn's excellent MIDI files web site of
Folk Music of England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales & America. Click the
name of a song, which takes you to a page where the lyrics are displayed
and the song will start playing. Click the "Download Midi File"
link at the top of the page.
Chants
de Marin - A collection of 119 French sea chanties. Some are very
nicely done, but the quality can vary a bit as they are contributed by
various persons. Click the name of a song in the left part of the page.
That takes you to a page where the lyrics for the song are displayed.
At the far top right corner of that page, click the link named "Ecouter
la musique" to download the MIDI file.
GEST
Songs of Newfoundland and Labrador - This collection of the songs
of Newfoundland and Labrador, simple to complex arrangements, is organized
in the left column by song title, as well as by first lines, and by the
MIDI author's name. You can also search for songs by keyword using a tool
in the middle of the page.
Americana - "Songs about America and American life including most of our State
Songs."
Blues
Page at Public Domain Music - This collection of public domain blues,
1850 to 1923, is maintained by Benjamin Robert Tubb. To download a MIDI
file, click the name of the MIDI file author in the right-most column
with the heading "Music".
Spirituals- "These songs could be heard out in the cottonfields of the Old
South, being sung by the plantation slaves, or in the evenings coming
from their shanty homes." The arrangements vary from classic spiritual
sound to "easy listening".
American
Spirituals and Sacred Harp Music - This is small collection is part
of the Public Domain Music library.
Fiddle Tunes from the American Revolution - "A collection of fiddle tunes from the American Revolution period in
MIDI music format. This collection features minuets, country dances,
marches and airs, and song tunes from the personal notebook of a
certain Captain George Bush, an officer in George Washington's army.
Below are 54 individual MIDI file renditions of these fiddle tunes
for your listening pleasure. This collection of Colonial music comes
from an actual book entitled "Fiddle Tunes From The American
Revolution" which contains the actual sheet music of which these
songs were transcribed from." Simply click on the song title to download the MIDI file.
Also see our Traditional and Irish-Celtic pages.
Do you know a website we should include here, or is there a problem with a link?
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